아메리카너구리
amerikaneoguri[a̠me̞ɾikʰa̠nʌ̹ɡuɾi]
The English word 'raccoon' is translated into Korean as 아메리카너구리 (amerikaneoguri). Wiktionary also lists 미국너구리 (migungneoguri).
Meaning: nocturnal omnivore living in North America, Procyon lotor (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 아메리카너구리 | amerikaneoguri | [a̠me̞ɾikʰa̠nʌ̹ɡuɾi] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 미국너구리 | migungneoguri | [miɡuŋnʌ̹ɡuɾi] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
This term specifically refers to the nocturnal omnivore native to North America (Procyon lotor).
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of 아메리카 (America) and 너구리 (raccoon or raccoon dog).
Which one should you use?
아메리카너구리 uses the phonetic loanword for 'America', while 미국너구리 is a common alternative that uses the Korean word for 'USA' (미국).
How do you pronounce it?
amerikaneoguri
Did you know?
- In Korea, the word 너구리 is also the name of a very popular brand of instant ramen featuring a thick, chewy noodle.
- In traditional Korean folklore, 너구리 are often depicted as shapeshifters capable of transforming into humans to deceive people.
- Because the raccoon dog is a canid, the Korean word for raccoon refers to a dog-relative, whereas the English 'raccoon' refers to a procyonid.
Examples in context
- 어제 공원에서 너구리를 봤어요?Did you see a raccoon yesterday at the park?
- 너구리는 예쁜 야생 동물 중 하나입니다.Raccoons are one of the beautiful wild animals.
- 아메리카너구리는 밤에 활동해요.amerikaneogurineun bame hwaldonghaeyo.The raccoon is active at night.
- 아메리카너구리는 잡식성 동물이에요.amerikaneogurineun japsiksaeng dongmulieyo.The raccoon is an omnivorous animal.
Example conversation
Subin and Hyunwoo are looking at a photo from a trip to North America.
- 수빈 Su-bin현우 씨, 이 동물은 뭔가요?Hyeon-u ssi, i dongmureun mongan-yo?Hyunwoo, what is this animal?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo이건 아메리카너구리라고 해요.Igeon Amerikanegurirago haeyo.This is called a raccoon.
- 수빈 Su-bin정말 귀엽게 생겼네요.Jeongmal gwiyeopge saenggyeotneyo.It looks really cute.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo네, 하지만 성격은 까다로워요.Ne, hajiman seonggyeogeun kkadarowoyo.Yes, but they have picky personalities.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “raccoon” translations and entries 아메리카너구리, 미국너구리, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
